March 27, 2016
Easter in Istanbul
IstanbulIn the Istanbul neighborhood of Kurtuluş, which is home to a large Armenian population, a number of shops are decorated on account of Easter, and the smell of traditional sakızlı Paskalya çöreği--puffy loaves of ever-so-slightly sweet bread baked with mastic gum--is thick in the air.
January 18, 2024
Murat Kelle Paça: The Soup Kitchen
Istanbul | By Joel Zorrilla
IstanbulEditor's note: It's Soup Week at Culinary Backstreets, and to kick things off, our Istanbul correspondent takes us to an eatery in Beyoğlu whose hearty broths refuel late-night revelers and daytime workers alike. Most of Murat Kelle Paça’s clientele stumble in between 1 and 5 o’clock in the morning, after a boisterous night of drinking, concert-going…
November 22, 2022
Behind Bars: A Beer-Soaked Bastion of Resistance in Beyoğlu
IstanbulThe area around Mis (meaning “Pleasant-Smelling”), Kurabiye (“Cookie”) and Süslü Saksı (“Fancy Flowerpot”) Streets is as eclectic and appealing as these monikers would suggest, at least as far as we're concerned. This corner in the backstreets of Istanbul's Beyoğlu district is home to a trifecta of our favorite local haunts: Müşterek, its sister meyhane, Meclis,…